polished top and shoved his fingers through his spiked, platinum hair. “I’m not in the mood for this tonight.”
“Not in the mood? Are you kidding me? Look around, baby brother.” Sitting on the other side of Drako, Malek, shot Talen a bewildered glance. About a dozen women gaped as his shaggy blond surfer-punk waves danced on a breeze.
Drako slid his quarry a heated glance then twisted to flag down the bartender. “Yeah, well, if you spent half as much time working as you do playing, Malek, we’d–”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it before, big brother.” Malek ordered another beer for Drako then clapped him on the shoulder. “But like I say, life is short. You gotta live while you can.” He slipped from the stool, peeled off a twenty and handed it to the bartender. “Do either of you have a bad feeling about tomorrow’s meeting with the old man...?” Malek stood a little taller, tipped up his chin. “Ohhhh, yes. Talk to you later.” Not waiting for them to answer his earlier question, he headed toward the nearest flock of admirers.
“I think I’m calling it a night.” Talen said, watching Malek gather a small herd of women around him.
“Okay, bro. See you at home.” Drako checked his redhead again. She was still sitting at the table with her friend, but she was looking a little less certain of herself now. One hand was wrapped around a wineglass, the other nervously tugged at a lock of hair.
That was better. An aggressive woman did nothing for him.
Letting the corners of his mouth curl slightly, he lifted his fresh beer to his mouth and waited for their gazes to meet again.
Uh huh. Much, much better.
He held her gaze and everyone and everything else in the crowded bar seemed to slowly drift away, until nobody but his redhead existed to him. Electricity sizzled between their bodies, like heat lightning arcing between storm clouds.
Her tongue darted out, swept across her plump lip then slipped back inside. She set her glass down and, breaking eye contact, leaned over to her friend sitting next to her. They both glanced his way. The friend smiled and nodded, and then the pair of them stood.
Their arms linked at the elbow, their gazes flitting back and forth between him and the back of the bar, they hurried in the opposite direction, toward the bathroom.
That was an interesting reaction. Nothing like what he’d expected. Was she playing him? Were they both?
Mmmm. Both. Maybe he’d have two women tonight. Two was always better than one.
He dropped a fifty on the bar. And with his beer clutched in one fist, he walked around the far side of the room, taking the scenic route to the dark corridor at the rear. He’d catch them out there, where it was quieter, more intimate.
His timing was perfect. Just as he rounded the corner, they clacked out of the bathroom on a breeze of sweetly-perfumed air. They halted instantly, eyes widening, one pair a soft grey-blue, the other a deep brown.
Up close, the redhead lost a little of her charm. It was her friend who demanded his attention now. Her features were different, her almond-shaped eyes tipped up at the outer corners, the un-creased eyelids hinting at her Asian ancestry. Her full lips were plump and freshly coated in shimmering gloss. Her carefully applied makeup emphasized a set of picture-perfect cheekbones, and her slightly mussed hairstyle lengthened a slender neck, a tumble of silky blue-black waves cascading over her shoulders.
He’d seen her before. Where?
“Hi,” the redhead said, her voice a deep and sultry siren’s call.
He turned toward her again, catching, once more, the sensual promise glimmering in her cool blue gaze. Despite the invitation he read on her face–-or maybe because of it–-he found himself tiring of her already. His attention snapped back to the quiet woman next to him. An old David Bowie song echoed in his head, China Girl. “I know this is the world’s worst line, but don’t I know you from
“Not in the mood? Are you kidding me? Look around, baby brother.” Sitting on the other side of Drako, Malek, shot Talen a bewildered glance. About a dozen women gaped as his shaggy blond surfer-punk waves danced on a breeze.
Drako slid his quarry a heated glance then twisted to flag down the bartender. “Yeah, well, if you spent half as much time working as you do playing, Malek, we’d–”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it before, big brother.” Malek ordered another beer for Drako then clapped him on the shoulder. “But like I say, life is short. You gotta live while you can.” He slipped from the stool, peeled off a twenty and handed it to the bartender. “Do either of you have a bad feeling about tomorrow’s meeting with the old man...?” Malek stood a little taller, tipped up his chin. “Ohhhh, yes. Talk to you later.” Not waiting for them to answer his earlier question, he headed toward the nearest flock of admirers.
“I think I’m calling it a night.” Talen said, watching Malek gather a small herd of women around him.
“Okay, bro. See you at home.” Drako checked his redhead again. She was still sitting at the table with her friend, but she was looking a little less certain of herself now. One hand was wrapped around a wineglass, the other nervously tugged at a lock of hair.
That was better. An aggressive woman did nothing for him.
Letting the corners of his mouth curl slightly, he lifted his fresh beer to his mouth and waited for their gazes to meet again.
Uh huh. Much, much better.
He held her gaze and everyone and everything else in the crowded bar seemed to slowly drift away, until nobody but his redhead existed to him. Electricity sizzled between their bodies, like heat lightning arcing between storm clouds.
Her tongue darted out, swept across her plump lip then slipped back inside. She set her glass down and, breaking eye contact, leaned over to her friend sitting next to her. They both glanced his way. The friend smiled and nodded, and then the pair of them stood.
Their arms linked at the elbow, their gazes flitting back and forth between him and the back of the bar, they hurried in the opposite direction, toward the bathroom.
That was an interesting reaction. Nothing like what he’d expected. Was she playing him? Were they both?
Mmmm. Both. Maybe he’d have two women tonight. Two was always better than one.
He dropped a fifty on the bar. And with his beer clutched in one fist, he walked around the far side of the room, taking the scenic route to the dark corridor at the rear. He’d catch them out there, where it was quieter, more intimate.
His timing was perfect. Just as he rounded the corner, they clacked out of the bathroom on a breeze of sweetly-perfumed air. They halted instantly, eyes widening, one pair a soft grey-blue, the other a deep brown.
Up close, the redhead lost a little of her charm. It was her friend who demanded his attention now. Her features were different, her almond-shaped eyes tipped up at the outer corners, the un-creased eyelids hinting at her Asian ancestry. Her full lips were plump and freshly coated in shimmering gloss. Her carefully applied makeup emphasized a set of picture-perfect cheekbones, and her slightly mussed hairstyle lengthened a slender neck, a tumble of silky blue-black waves cascading over her shoulders.
He’d seen her before. Where?
“Hi,” the redhead said, her voice a deep and sultry siren’s call.
He turned toward her again, catching, once more, the sensual promise glimmering in her cool blue gaze. Despite the invitation he read on her face–-or maybe because of it–-he found himself tiring of her already. His attention snapped back to the quiet woman next to him. An old David Bowie song echoed in his head, China Girl. “I know this is the world’s worst line, but don’t I know you from
Similar Books
Desire Me Always
Tiffany Clare
A Whisper To A Scream
S.B. Addison Books
Encyclopedia Brown Solves Them All
Donald J. Sobol
Deadly Investment (A Fitzjohn Mystery Book 5)
Jill Paterson
Alluvium
Nolan Oreno
Celebration
Fern Michaels
Tainted Reality (The Rememdium Series Book 2)
Ashley Fontainne
Songs My Mother Never Taught Me
Selcuk Altun
The Corrections
Jonathan Franzen